Bringing the shower to a bowling alley is a perfect solution when the hosts have small apartments and restless crowds. No special skills are necessary and even shy guests can let the game break the ice for them. Embrace the tasty cheesy fried delights that characterize bowling alley cuisine or some alleys can help you plan a more upscale menu.
Expense: $$-$$$
Gift suggestion: Waring Professional Kitchen Blender
Maybe the bride is a yoga aficionado, but even if the guests have never pronounced the word “namaste,” a yoga session can bring everyone's shoulders down. Hire an instructor to guide an all-level class for the shower crowd (and possibly provide hints for how to relax in the nervous weeks leading up to the wedding), either at home or in a yoga studio. Food and drink possibilities are highly variable, since you can embrace healthy spa cuisine for snacks or use the virtue of having just exercised to indulge in some petit fours.
Expense: $$
Gift suggestions:
Let someone else do the work of relaxing the crowd. You can bring the group to a spa or have aestheticians come to you with their magic potions and talents. Note: If guests want to have facials done, you shouldn't plan this shower too close to the wedding date. No one wants to be blotchy on the big day.
Expense: $$$
Gift suggestions:
Nothing breaks the ice better than food, so why not make the shower all about exciting peoples' palates? Wine or cheese tastings encourage guests to nibble, compare, and talk. Local cheesemongers and wine merchants are usually happy to select a tasting menu, but you can also turn to online cheese and wine specialists for reliable, easy, delicious results.
Expense: $-$$
Gift suggestions:
A perfect solution for hosts on a budget or for the bride who has everything, the craft shower allows guests to get creative and have a great time making something the bride can really use. Gather scrap-booking supplies and encourage guests to bring photographs, recipes, and other memorabilia from the friendships. The project of the party will be to adorn the pages of a keepsake book for the bride to take home.
Expense: $
Gift suggestion: Paper Page Album
